Archive for the ‘Interstellar’ Category

What the Brookings Report Said

Thursday, June 25th, 2026

Extract from the Brookings Report 182-4 The implications of a discovery of extraterrestrial life       Recent publicity given to efforts to detect extraterrestrial messages via radio telescope has popularized -- and legitimized -- speculations about the impact of such a discovery on human values. [33] It is conceivable that there is semi-intelligent ...

Pseudo-Ethics of a Bracewell Lurker

Wednesday, June 17th, 2026

The hypothesized Bracewell ‘Lurker’ Probe monitors the development of an ETI until some point at which it judges it appropriate to initiate contact. Until that point the BP is supposed to follow a strict non-detection and non-contact policy. We accept as a matter of prudence that a probe will not ...

A Plan of Operations for a Von Neumann – Bracewell Probe (Part 2: Emissary)

Saturday, June 6th, 2026

Consider the case that a VN-B Probe has determined from preflight observations that the target system falls under Cases 4, 5, or 6 and involves contact with known technological ETI Mission Operations Preflight (Continued) Continue observing the ETI in order to Gather data relevant to maximising the possibility of successful communication Determine ...

A Plan of Operations for a Von Neumann – Bracewell Probe (Part 1: Lurker)

Friday, June 5th, 2026

Mission Goal Establish communications with technologically capable ETI            Mission Profile Arrive in a star system with the potential for ETI Replicate and dispatch probes to neighbouring star systems with the potential for ETI Investigate the system to identify an ETI Monitor the system until an ETI is identified Study the ETI to ...

Classification Scales for Extraterrestrial Intelligences

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026

Scale                 Property (Variable, Units)                   Formula                              Earth's Value   Kardashev          Energy Consumption (W, Watts)          K ...